President Trump approves Arkansas' emergency request for storm assistance funding
President Donald Trump approves Arkansas' request for federal assistance after severe weather
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Updated: 8:11 AM CDT Apr 7, 2025
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A FIRST-HAND LOOK AT THE DAMAGE THAT FORCED SCHOOLS THERE TO CLOSE. THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS HERE IN WALDRON HAD ENOUGH DAMAGE THAT THEY NEEDED TO CLOSE DOWN TOMORROW. THIS IS VIDEO - FROM INSIDE WALDRON MIDDLE SCHOOL ON SATURDAY MORNING. "Just unreal amounts of water just dripping from the ceiling, ceiling tiles falling everywhere." HOURS AFTER A STORM HIT THE CITY. "I was the first one to walk in this building, and I felt like a tornado had come through. I've never been on a site where a tornado actually hit, but I felt a tornado had ripped the roof off, like, that's what it felt like." ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT CHRIS LIPHAM SAYS 80 PERCENT OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND 30 PERCENT OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS COVERED WITH WATER. "Massive amount of hail, and it just completely covered. So our best guess is both campuses on the roof, it impacted that material." THE COMMUNITY JUMPED INTO ACTION. "We had a bunch of people come, coaches came, kids came, staff members or spouses, and we were shoveling. The city came. Fire Department came, because we had firearms going off." HELPING CLEAN WHAT THEY COULD BEFORE CREWS ARRIVED. "Just started bringing out wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of just stuff that it felt fell on the floor once we knew it was safe for people to be in it." THE DISTRICT IS LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL TEMPORARY ROOF FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL BUT ALSO HAS A PLAN IN PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO GO ELSEWHERE THROUGHOUT THE CITY FOR SCHOOL IF THEY CAN'T RE-OPEN SOON
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President Trump approves Arkansas' emergency request for storm assistance funding
President Donald Trump approves Arkansas' request for federal assistance after severe weather
President Donald Trump approved Arkansas' request for Direct Federal Assistance to help the state's continued response to storms, tornadoes, and flooding that began on April 2, 2025, according to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' Office. The governor cited particular areas of flood concern due to heavy rainfall, which included Buffalo River, Spring River, Little Red River, Cache River, Black River, Saline River, Ouachita River, Eleven Point River, Mississippi River, Petit Jean River, Little River, and White River. Click here to read Gov. Sanders' letter to President Trump Arkansas will receive Category B aid statewide, which is limited to Direct Federal Assistance.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. —
President Donald Trump approved Arkansas' request for Direct Federal Assistance to help the state's continued response to storms, tornadoes, and flooding that began on April 2, 2025, according to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' Office.
The governor cited particular areas of flood concern due to heavy rainfall, which included Buffalo River, Spring River, Little Red River, Cache River, Black River, Saline River, Ouachita River, Eleven Point River, Mississippi River, Petit Jean River, Little River, and White River.